Local Government

John Schultz CBE

John joined Newton in 2012 as a Senior Advisor, following a career in local government that culminated in 16 years as the Chief Executive of a high-performing metropolitan borough council.

He was elected President of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers; served in a wide range of government advisory roles at national, regional, city region, and local level; and was awarded a CBE for services to local government.

Alongside his work with Newton, John advises the trade union for senior local government officers, is the independent chair of an inter-agency board that oversees aspects of a borough’s healthcare, and assists with the governance of a university and a national orchestra.

Mike Bennett

Mike joined Newton as a Senior Advisor in January 2012 to help grow Newton's offering within local government. Alongside his work at Newton, Mike is the Director of Public Intelligence, a company which provides advisory, consultancy and research services in the public sector.

Prior to setting up Public Intelligence, Mike spent 12 years working for SOLACE, the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers, as the Assistant Director General and Co-Managing Director. During his tenure at SOLACE he was responsible for their policy development, designing and delivering national leadership events and establishing the SOLACE Foundation Imprint.

In addition to his professional work Mike has remained an active researcher, publishing in international, peer-reviewed journals on issues of public administration and public policy.